Machine for cutting off the tops of beets and the like roots.



MACHINE FOR CUTTIN 0'. N. FRANKMAN. G OFPTHHTOPS OFVBEETS AND THE LIKEROOTS.

APPLICATION FILED MAR.Z3,1906.

PATENTED JUNE 16, 1908.

Z SHEETSSHBET 1.

INVENTOR,

Om F N LssON FRANKMAN,

PATENTE D JUNE 16, 1908;

O. N. PRANKMAN. ING OFF THE TOPS OI BEETS AND THE LIKE ROOTS.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 23, 1906.

MACHINE FOR CUTT I z smm's snnm z.

\NV ENTOR,

ATTQRNEYJ 0L0 F N LSSON FRAN KMAN.

UNITED sTATEs PATENT- OFFIGE.

OLOF NILS'SON- FRANKMAN, or MARIEBERG, swsnEN.

' MACHINE Fort oo'r'r'ms OFF THE. more or 'ims'rs AND- Tim LIKE'ROOTS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 16,1908.

Applicationfiled March 23, 1906. Serial No. 307,578.

To a ll tvhom it may concern:

Bet known that I,- OLOF NILSSONFRANK- MAN, estate manager, citizen ofthe King-' dom of Sweden, residing at Marieberg, Swe-' den, haveinvented a new and useful Machinelowi ; tion of the same.

so ble irregularities" This invention relates to a machine for cuttingoff the tops of growing beets and the like roots,- especiallysugar-beets The [task re. quired from the machine-consistsin dividingeach root at sucha height below the begin- 'mng.-of the leaf-crown, thatthe green art of theroot, the so'called top, shall be s -arply The parti O'f-the beet remaining in the ground-Will thus .-yield a productsuitable for the demandsof the: sugar factories, and the top. with itscut away together with .the leaves.

leaves, kept free from-earth and stones during the cutting off andpicking up, will furnish a very valuable by-product suitableforcattle-(feeding.

In'considering the above-mentioned problem, one meetsdifli-culties,especially becausev ,o'w differently, with someeaf -j crown andsometimes. greater or smaller parts ofthe. root abovevthe sugar begetimes only t earth. Neither" this fact nor the unavoidever, prevent my mfrom dividing each beet as accurately as d manded, whether the be 'Iar'eor small and have .a more or "lessee ions eaf 'oirown, anddespite thefact, a beets do; not stand evenly-1n their re'ws.=- When two or morerows Q beets are be treated simultaneously hesame machinefisuchtreatment should always be practice.

tics-hie), though the intervals of the rows may vary at the differentworking-places.

euef h'gilf power.

:i-jyYholly satisfactorywork can be accomplished, by-my new machine,which, unlike other machines, will leave the severed tops.

with. the leaf-crowns sitting thereon in an up tight .osition as ifstill growlng, so that sa d tops 5 all remain clean, and can afterwardsbe raked together by mechanical or The good work performed by machine isowing to its preferred peculiar construction, comprising two or moremain 4 parts.partly independent of each other, andv 7 also to theparticular construction of the lorking parts and their connections withother parts.

' The carries at its rear a seat 2, wherefrom the ground should, how'0.. (and by my machine is prac-- .The accompanying drawing'illustratestwo.

forms -of my new machine.

Figure f1 shows a machine in side-view; Fig. Qis a plan-view thereof;Figs. 3, 4 and 5 are views of the beet-cutting plane respectivelyinrear, lateral and plan; Figs. 6 and 7 illustrate'a modificationof thedevice respectively, in lateral and plan view, and Fig.8 is

ing-'deviceywhereby each of these main-'- parts (the drag carriage andthe top-cutting machine) is able to take aposition independent, inheight, of the other part. When two'or more'top-cutting-machines aredrawn by one dragcarriage (in the drawings-two are shown), they may beplacedside by side, so-

that the-distance between the top-cutting machines can be variedaccording to the intervals existing between therows of beets to be cut.The machine is strong, cheap and Works uick-ly. v

frame of the drag-carriage, marked 1,

driver can direct theentire machine means .of a long steering-rod 3,forked in front and sliding along a' curved rail. The hind-part of therod is cutaway in Fig. 2, as well as the rear bar of thedrag-carriagafor the sake of distinctness. From his seat the driver caneasil' also make use of. several handles or the llke, which shall behereafter described together with the parts to which they belong. Theconnection of the dragcarriage with the operating machine is effec'tedbymeans of a frame 4 lying above the front wheel-axle of thecarriage,thehind-end of said frame 4 being movably connected, forinstance, by means of a hook, with an oscillating-bar 5, to which thedrag-rods of the operating-machines can be fastened.

Each se 'arate operating-machine includes a rectangu ar frame 6withwhich four small wheels are connected, in such manner that eachwheelcan be adjusted in height separately, this arrangement ermitting eachmachine to follow a row 0 beets with two wheels on each side of it, evenif the level of whole, be raise adjust itsel differences in height ofthe beets.

the ground be higher atone side than at the other. Eachoperating-machine can, as a y or lowered with respect of the mam-frame,by means of two'links 7 pivoted to the frame 6 about midway "ofthe lenth of the machine, and the upper ends of.

sai rods being secured, by means of bent arms 8, to a cross-bar.9 fixedabove the ma,

chine frame 1, and all movable by means of a handle 10 capable of beinglocked in various.

positions, to regulate the distance-in height etween the frames 1 and 6.I The front part of each frame 6 is connected with the drag-carriage bymeans of two links 11,-one end of each link slidably carried on thecross axle 5, to be fastened thereon wherever required. By this mode ofconnection, each 0 crating-machine is permitted to t automatically inheight and to be so adjusted laterally that its lateral intervals can bemadeto fit the distance between beet rows. Another advantage resultingfrom the illustrated structure, is" that the frame of theoperating-machinein moving forward shall not rise forwardly,v and itsfront pair of wheels, will proceed alongth'e level of the ground moresteadily. This is very desirable, as one of each pair of wheels 12 isprovided with a rotatableucircular knife 13 concentric with the wheel,and employed, to cut off the extreme leaf-ends on one side of theplants, which-might hinder the cutting off of the beet-tops. Theleafends severed by knives 13, are brushed'aside by the plates 14connected fixedly with the frame 6, and inclined outwardly. As theobject is to prevent obstruction by theprotruding leaves at one side ofthe machine, the knife 13 and the plate14 might also be substituted byany other parts accomplishing the same purpose in some other way, forinstance, by catching round the leaf-crown and bending itto the side.

With the frame 6 is connected the beettop cutting apparatus which I havetermed a beet-plane onaccount of its particular construction and mode ofaction, and which consists of two connected arts, a'slide-shoe 15 and aplane-iron 16. T e arrangement of this plane, which is shown in Figs.3-5, embodies a series of characteristics, each, and

the mac ine.

The beet-plane, as a whole, is dragged .forward during the movement ofthe machinein a certain position which, I have found, must bemaintained" notwithstanding the considerable liberty of moving invertical direction required forthe plane owing to the injurious 'iullsduring the drag ing forward must also be avoided, and the frictionreduced to the least-possible. These demands are met-by reason ofthe peculiar formof the plane illus:

corpse the side ressure, and .by a suitable'construction of t eplane-iron and preferred connection of the same, with the slide-shoe.

The slide-shoe. spoken of and designated 15 in the drawings, hasthe form10f part-of a cylinder the generators of which are hori- .zontal andlaced' at an invariable angle with the procee direction in the amount of2550. The ength of the cylindenxi. e.: the breadth of thebeet-plane-across the machine, is comparatively great (forinstance, 20c; m.) in order to prevent the slide-shoe 15 from stepping to the sideof beets which do not stand precisely in their rowor which ossesseitheran unusually full or a very small eat-crown.v The plane-iron 16has a breadth sufficient to reach even irregularly standing beets, andits edge; which is situated somebetween the edge and the lower part ofthe slide-shoe can be varied,- thedplane-iron be-,'

ing fixed on the slide-shoe a ustably both in the height and laterally(as shown in- Fig.

' 4) and the plane; can thus be adjusted according to the differences insize and number of lcaves of diiferent sorts of beets 'or'forf tion withthe cylindrical formof the slide 1 shoe, and the position of the latterat an. an gle with the proceeding direction, willpre f it, or if itsposition were at a right angle with the beet-row,- much accumulation,es-

ecially at the place offastening of the planelron, might easily occur,-whereas through the method adopted stones and earth are carried awayoutside, andthe leaves will be able to pass between the slide-shoe andthe plane-irpn together with exceptionally accompanyingbeet-tops, iftheydo, not come in the Way of the plane-iron and'are not cut off.

The angleosition of the plane-iron with regard to the direction ofmovement causes the beet-s to be cut shar ly through with -accu-.

racy and without spitting, in such a ing'above the-beetand-certainlycuts its way (which also shows the slide-shoe proceeding onthe surface of theground) and only when 'ground willslide on-theleaf-:crownwhich had best be rolledv completely. down previously.

paratively small friction, and by preventing v .For theconnection of thebeet-plane with rods 18, (pairs of which are shown) is conof said rodsare pivoted upon the arms 19 very low and almost horizontally.- Thiscon-'.

through it, andlthis position of the, plane- '1I 0I1 also causes theedge to preserve its sharpness longer than if-the iron were fastenedhorizontally and at a right angle to the beet-row. It must be.remembered also that the work-of the plane-iron partly takes lacein theground, as shown in the sketch ig. 8

meeting with beets standing up above the This movement, necessarily veryirregular, is

sli de s'hoe, which also is favored by the comerks'upon the plane.

theframe of its operating-machine, two airs of hnkjrods are provided.-Each of the ragnect-ed at the sides of the hind-edge of the slide-shoeat its lower end, and the front ends (Fig. 1) dependent from the frame 6and which carry the above-named plate 14, whereby the drag-rods 18 arecaused tolie str'uction lessens friction and favors liberty of movement,in vertical directions, of the beetplane. This vertical movement is notob structed either by the second pair of supporting rods 20 which arepivotedat opposite sides of the hind-end of the slide-shoe at itsupperend and extend to the frame 6 itself at a place rather far ahead,whereby these rods also are caused to lie almost horizontally; theirprincipal work is to support or stay the beet-plane so that,notwithstanding its movements up and down, it is able to retain theproper position both in regard to each single beet and to the beet-rowas a whole.

During its movement up and down the beet-plane is preferably presseddown against the ground with suitable strength and steadiness. Thisressure is produced by means of horizonta y disposed springs 21 (Figs. 1and 6), the hind-endsof which bear against the upper edge of theslide-shoe, and the front-ends of which are connectedwith an oscillatoryshaft 22 rather far ahead on the frame 6. spring-pressure can both beregulated to the strengt' desired and also be quickly changed by thedriver when passing lar e holes or lumps. When the handle 23 is ocked,the pressure will remain almost constant owing to the relatively greatlength of the spring, notwithstanding the movements of the beetlane upand down. The springs only being liept strained when in use, they willbe able to keep their elasticity for a long time.

The angle-positionlof the beet-plane with regard to the proceedingdirection, produces By means of a handle 23, .the

a strong side-pressure, especially while the beetetops are being cutofil. In order to pre' vent each operatingmachine from being forced outto the side,-, that is away from the beetrow,- which might easily h-apoenibcause it. is merely connected with B16 drag-.

carriage by means of the 'movable drag-rods at its front-part, arevolving shaft 24 is disposed inthe frame 1 of the carriage, on whichshaft two angle-irons 25 are fastenedwhich can'be-turned down onthejouter -side of each frame 6 when the shaft is rotated by means of thelock-handle 26'. The operating-machi-ne will then be prevented from be-''ing displaced to the side and will get a'steady move;

In case it might be required ofthbeet planes to take part in theadjusting of the frames 6 with regard tov the frame 1 ceased by the rods7, this maybe obtainedby hooks 27 catching round the plane when theframe is somewhat raised, or by asimilar device.

Another detail of construction of the machine is shown in Figs. 6 and.7, wherein the frames 6 with their wheels are omitted, and eachbeetplane 15,16 is connected directly with rods .or links 18, 20 uponcross-shafts 5 (before described and shown) and 28, both suitablycarried by the drag-carriage, the shaft 28 being preferably disposeddirectly underneath. the shaft 'The arrangement of the parts forregulating the position and vmovement of the planes may be that beforeshown or may be suitably modified.

Having thus described my invention, what- I claim, and desiretdsecure byLetters Patent of the United States, is:

' 1. In a machine for cutting off thetops of beets, a wheeled frame, abeet-cutting device disposed below said frame, and a rearwardlyextending flexible connection from -said frame and means for exertingpressure upon said beet cutting (lBVICG.

2. In a machine for cutting off the tops of I beets, a wheeled mainbody, a wheeled frame adjustably connected with the main body, a beetcutting device disposed below theframe, and rearwardly extendingflexible connections from said frame to said beet-cutting device.

Y 3. In a machine for cutting off the tops of beets, a wheeled frame, abeet-cutting device, disposed below said frame, rearwardly-extendingflexible connections from said frame to said beet-cutting device, and aspring for pressing the last-named device downwardly and away from theframe.

, 4. In a machine for cutting off the tops of beets, a wheeled frame, abeet-cutting device connected with said frame so asto have rising andfalling movements and comprising a sliding shoe and apl'ane ironconnected thcrcwith and disposed below and loosely con-' nected withsaid frame, and a long spring pressing firmly downwardly against thebcct cutting device and at a point above the work-- ing center of saiddevice.

:cross bar, and a beet-cutting 5. Ina machine for cutting off the topsof beets, a wheeled main body, a wheeled frame adjustably connected withthe main body at a plurality of points, handles for effecting desiredadjustment at each said points, a beetc'utt ing device]; disposed belowsaid frame, and-rearwardl extend1ng fiexlble connections from sai frameto said beet-cutting device. v y I v 6. Ina machine for cutting off thetops of beets, a wheeled main body provided wlth a cross bar 5, aWheeled frame adjustably connectedwith the main body, bars- 11 looselyconnected with said frame and having forward endsslidabl -surroundingthe aforesaid device disposed below and loosely connecte with saidframe. j 7 In a machine forcutting off the tops of beets awheeledlframe, a beet-cutting device' dis osed below and looselyconnected with 'sai frame, a knife connected with and driven by a Wheel.of said frame, and a .device for brushing away the leaves out by theknife.

' 8;. In a machine-for cutting off the tops of beets -a wheeled frame, abeet-cutting device dis ose d below and loosely connected with,

"sai frame, a-circular' kn'ife secured to one of theiwheels of saidframe, and a depending inan ng-me clined late for brushing away theleaves-cut :by the ife.

. 9. In a machine for cutting off the tops of beets, a -wheeled frame, abeet-cutting device disposed belowsaid frame anda pair of arms -loosely-;j ie'cting said beet-cutting device with, said lame, so as to haverisingsaidpdevice compris- -and..a plane 16 parallel ing a slide withthe slide shoe and'situated rearwardly of and below the latter, andmeans for adjusting the plane verticallyand horizontally relatively tothe slide shoe.

10. In a machine for cutting oif the topsof beets, a wheeled frame, abeet-cutting-device disposed below the frame, and a pair of arms looselyconnecting said beet-cutting device with said frame, so as to haverising and falling motions, said beet-cutting device comprising a slideshoe 1'5, and a lateral'horizontally disposed plane adjustably securedto the slide shoe at asingle point only.

1 1. In a machine for cutting ofl the tops of beets, a wheeled frame, abeet-cutting device disposed below said frame,rearwardly-extending'fiexible connections from said frame tosaidbeet-cutting'device, and a long sprin having one end connected withthe frame an having its other end pressing the beet-cut ting devicedownward y.

12. In a machine for cutting off the tops of Y beets, a wheeled mainbody, a wheeled frame name to this specification in the presence of two,subscribing witnesses.

OLOF NILSSON FRANKMAN.

Witnesses E. WEHT E, E. IIEDEINSKOG.

